Monday, 7 September 2009

The discussions are fascinating. At YouTube, there are insults to Canada and Canadians (and hockey of course). Stuff like this:

Hey canada, you are not USA, stay the fuck out of our political business.﻿

There are speculations that these are actors. There are assertions that it would cost more in the US, because the population is so much larger. Assertions that it would cost more because Americans would abuse it. (A particular group of Americans is what this commenter means, I guess.) Assertions that the people in the video and the Canadian commenters at YouTube are simply lying.

Compare with the discussion at The Huffington Post. There, the discussion is calm and rational -- with much better spelling too. Personal stories, facts, history, no abuse, no insults.

Some commenters wonder at the lack of trolls though. The reply to that: 'Trolls can't handle the truth'.

Here is my original posting of this video with some more good Canadian healthcare stories.

UPDATE: Well, there you go. A few minutes after I posted the above, a commenter at The Huffingon Post offered this:

In Canada you have a great health care system. Enjoy it and leave our business to us. And please don't say we dragged you into it because I read every day on these post critizism of our economy,war everything we do. Worry about yourselves not us.

Tad touchy, no?

As gord is my witness, I will never understand 'my country, right or wrong'.

Youtube comments are infamous as the most developmentally disabled on the internetz. My girlfriend will be watching a video and start reading the comments and always end up shouting 'Why am I doing this to myself? Why am I reading these idiots?!' at her computer screen.

As for minding our own business... well with the kind of money and effort and lawsuitsthat private health concerns in the US are putting into attacking the Canadian healthcare system - involving ourselves in the US debate is pure self defense.